Ten Tips to Supercharge Your DRTV
Wondering how to supercharge your DRTV campaign?
These ten tips, based on over 25 years of testing experience at Northern Lights Direct, are guaranteed to boost response rates, increase conversions and improve your ROI.
- Respect the Brand
A brand is often a company’s most valuable commodity. Therefore, every DRTV campaign, while designed to generate maximum response, must be created within the context of the brand and reflect the brand attributes. That doesn’t mean you have to make a brand commercial (all show and no sell), but it does mean you need to respect the brand you are promoting. - Focus on the Product/Service
In both long- and short-form DRTV commercials, the product/service must be king, queen and supreme ruler. Do not waste one second of selling time on creative concepts that are not directly related to your product/service. - Keep It Simple
DRTV commercials do not need to be elaborate or complicated in order to be effective. In fact, keeping them simple, straightforward and clearly focused on consumer benefits is what drives results. High-concept creative may win awards – but it doesn’t sell. - More Is More
Despite what most brand agencies tell you, longer commercial almost always outperform shorter ones. The reason is simple: with longer spots, you have more time to build your case for purchase, repeat key selling points, present an offer and tell the viewer how to respond. Shorter (e.g., 30-second) commercials are fine for building awareness, but they should never be the centerpiece of a DRTV campaign. - “FREE” Is Good
“FREE” is the most powerful word in advertising. No other word evokes such a positive response from consumers and triggers the buying impulse as much as “FREE”. If possible, it should be incorporated into the DRTV commercial in some way. - Offers Work
When possible, it is useful to include an offer that will motivate the viewer to overcome their natural reluctance and act now! As a general rule, the more attractive the offer is, the lower the overall cost per order will be. - Test! Test! Test!
Disciplined and continual testing is at the heart of DR marketing. Testing provides real-world data about consumer preferences and behavior, which allows for the ongoing optimization of campaigns. The end result is a campaign that delivers more leads, better conversions and, ultimately, a superior ROI. - The Heart and the Head
The vast majority of purchasing decisions are emotionally based and rationally justified. Therefore, both elements must be addressed in your commercial. - Say It and Show It!
Presenting key selling features both verbally and through on-screen graphics increases retention and boosts response rates. It’s called “see and say”, and is a simple and effective way to increase performance. - Landing Pages
Corporate websites are not designed to convert leads to sales; therefore, driving leads to a corporate website will result in low conversions. The solution is to drive traffic to a transaction-oriented microsite or landing page, specifically designed to convert leads to sales. This will significantly improve conversions.
Abide by these ten DRTV principles, measure your results and watch them soar!